Insects 2016

[rudi]

Not much to shoot outdoors lately due to typical cold, rainy spring weather.
I found this lily beetle and brought it inside for what I thought could be an 'easy' shoot but the bugger was warming up quickly and started running around...
1.:


2.: it settled down and started preening its antennae


3.: but not for long, crawled onto a little cupe, made a few rounds and decided to fly off, end off shoot

[marlunn]

ha, models Rudi, never very co-operative but despite the lack of help from the subject - you got some really good shots nice.

[Ziggy]

[Geoff F]

Those little Owl Midges are certainly tricky to get at the right angle. I have failed previously on several occasions and took quite a few shots this time before getting anything suitable.

The Oil Beetles have an unusual life style. The tiny larvae, after hatching, sit on a flower and wait for a bee to approach; then they jump onto the bee for a lift to its nesting burrows where they live as parasites. When alarmed, the adults can release a nasty oily substance but I have never had any problems when handling them gently.

Here are a couple of craneflies where I was chiefly shooting for identification purposes.

Erioconopa trivialis. A mating pair but I was concentrating mostly on getting the wing veins clear, so I lost sight of its mate.



Ptychoptera minuta. Another identification shot which required clear wing veins.



And one of the Lasioglossum species of bees on a dandelion.

[IzzieK]

Thanks for the morning laugh...

Not much to shoot outdoors lately due to typical cold, rainy spring weather.
I found this lily beetle and brought it inside for what I thought could be an 'easy' shoot but the bugger was warming up quickly and started running around...
1.:

2.: it settled down and started preening its antennae

3.: but not for long, crawled onto a little cupe, made a few rounds and decided to fly off, end off shoot

This is my favourite pose...Its expression looks like he's had enough of your poking and shoving him to do some stunts...

Oh btw, nice colour too -- lucky Phil!

[Geoff F]

Although mostly sunny today it was cool and not a lot of insect life around.

This lizard had been basking in a sheltered spot and carefully watching me when it suddenly dived off sideways then returned with a spider in its mouth. This is the first time I have actually seen a wild lizard catch something.

[Cantab]

Although mostly sunny today it was cool and not a lot of insect life around.

This lizard had been basking in a sheltered spot and carefully watching me when it suddenly dived off sideways then returned with a spider in its mouth. This is the first time I have actually seen a wild lizard catch something.

Geoff, congratulations on a good action shot. How long was the lizard? We have at least one that can sometimes be seen basking in the sun around our house. They can really move fast if they want to do so.

I'd never have guessed the bug in the lizard's mouth was a spider without your expert identification of it!

[Geoff F]

That particular lizard was fairly big, Bruce; probably around 4 inches in overall length. There were a couple more in the area but they were smaller and about 3 ins.

[James G]

A mixed bag of images.... All for one reason or another pushing the limits.

#1 Click Beetle,, Athous haemorrhoidalis... which decided to climb onto my finger.. I am now a qualified contortionist 'getting' this shot


#2 Click Beetle,, Athous haemorrhoidalis Back on the ground!


#3 Wolf Spider, Pardosa sp... spotted in the grass as the Click Beetle wandered off (Best seen in the light box 'cos it's well hidden!)


#4 Red Mason Bee (I think)


#5 Eristalis pertinax


#6 Large Red-tailed Bumble Bee (female), Bombus lapidarius


The last capture is just odd... I saw this wasp crawling around on a perspex sheet on the inside of a small plant cloche.
It semed to be hunting mites or aphids, anyway I tried a shot through the perspex and managed to capture it clearing its throat...

#7 Wasp.. Worker up close an

[rtbaum]

A few more bugs got in front of my lens while I was chasing birdies


Red Admiral, I think


Initial thought is Bumble Bee...something about the antennae bother me....Upon further review, I am thinking that it is a fly disguised as a Bumble bee....Tricky fly

[James G]

Hi Randy, nice captures, but I don't think #2 is a bee, they have oval shaped eyes. From the antennae and the round eyes I'd say it is a hover fly species though.

And the butterfly #1 looks like a Tortoiseshell, (Aglais sp), rather than a Red Admiral.

[marlunn]

Randy, its a Hoverfly not a bumblebee, dont know which on your side of the pond but definitly a Hoverfly

[rtbaum]

See...I should stick to birdies and flowers

[DickyOZ]

Randy, its not a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) either I'm not sure but I would say it is a Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady)

[rtbaum]

OK...Now I am interested...It is without question Vanessa sp., Painted Lady is the closest match.

Ironically, I wasn't paying attention as I thought I was chasing a single species of orange butterfly...it turns out there were at least two fluttering around



Red Admiral dog-gone-it!!

[James G]

See...I should stick to birdies and flowers

Nah, being a photographer does not need you to be an entomologist.... (I kind of like knowing the names, but I have an inkling that hoverflies do not call themselves hoverflies and there are so many of them and the indexes are so confusing at times.... and as regards beetles!....)

[marlunn]

One from Llanelli WWT - a Orange Tip butterfly on a Whitebell - it was hanging on for dear life as it was blowing a strong breeze onshore - took quite a few shots to get one that was sharp catching it on the focus point as it waved back and forth !

[James G]

Mark, beautiful capture. I love Orange Tips, but photographing them is always been a challenge, They hardly ever settle. And then, when they do... it's windy!

[marlunn]

Thanks James, this is the most sucessful to date - normally they dont reveal the orange tip so obligingly

[Geoff F]

I've seen a few Orange Tips flitting around, Mark, but I'm still waiting for one to settle close to me. That is certainly a classic shot.

Your wasp looks interesting from that angle, James. German Wasp (Vespula germanica) by the look of it.